How to Spice up Boring Food

When I first read this article to see if it was a fit, two memories came flashing back.

The first was regarding butter. My mother loved butter…. Specifically she loved browned butter. I don’t think she ever made a vegetable that she didn’t finish with browned butter.

Really.

If she opened up a can of Pork & Beans in Tomato Sauce to have with hot dogs for the kids lunch, she added browned butter to the beans.

She had a special little frying pan just for browning it.

The second memory was my Green Bean Casserole. I was a fledgling cook and was asked to bring the green beans to Thanksgiving Dinner. .If you are American you know this dish…. You know it is bland and, more importantly, it is not to be messed with.

I spiced it up. I may have added too much thyme. I was never asked to make it again.

I’ve learned my lessons…. I love browned butter but not on everything. I also love compound butters (see below).

I use a lot of herbs and spices in my cooking, but I try to use them appropriately: sometimes more is better; sometimes less.

As to the vinegar – I love both sherry and Balsamic vinegar and use them often…. again, sometimes a dash, sometimes a glug.

Read on for more information:

All You Need to Know About Spicing Up Boring Dishes

Let’s face it, some dishes can taste rather bland. In particular, healthier foods lack the depth and complexity that make certain foods delicious. So, what can you do to take these recipes to the next level?

Well, the good news is that there are a number of remedies to this problem. So, if you are eager to learn how to make even the most lackluster dishes truly amazing, here are the tips that you should follow:

The More Spices, The Better

It should go without saying that the best way to spice up boring food is to well… add spices. From cinnamon and cumin to mustard and cloves, the options are endless. A careful combination of these ingredients can produce a heavenly flavor on your taste buds. Not to mention, it makes the food more aromatic as well.

Of course, if you are new to adding spices to your food, you might be worried about the right mix. After all, how are you supposed to know which spices work best together without some trial and error? Well, to reduce the risk of making a mistake, try a product such as Bearded Butcher Blend Seasoning. Here, the spices come pre-mixed so you don’t have to agonize over what you are adding to your dishes.

Season Your Butter

Butter is arguably one of the more important ingredients in cooking. It can transform even the blandest of meats and vegetables into something mouthwatering. At the same time, it is far from the healthiest component out there. So, how can you make a little bit of butter go a long way?

The answer to this would be to season your butter. You can make your own compound butter that contains a myriad of seasonings. Some of the more common additions would be lemon, thyme, and garlic. However, there is no need to limit yourself. You can essentially choose any tasty morsel that would work well with butter. This way, adding just a small pat of butter can take the entire dish to another level.

Use Vinegar to Brighten Up Dishes

Vinegar tends to be a rather ignored ingredient but you should change that. This is because it can be used to enhance the other flavors in a dish. However, it should be used sparingly so that you don’t end up with an acidic taste.

Sherry vinegar works well to make other flavors pop as it has a certain umami quality to it. If you are making an Asian dish, you simply can’t do without rice vinegar. Want to enhance a sauce you are making? Then, balsamic vinegar will almost certainly do the trick. 

If you want to make your roasted or grilled vegetables taste a whole lot better, then sprinkle them with vinegar once they are done cooking. You will be astonished by the difference that this makes.

This is what you need to know about spicing up boring dishes. As long as you are aware of the right tips and tricks to use, you’ll never have to sit through another bad meal again!